Obama, Pentagon officials meet to discuss U.S. troops in Afghanistan

Feb. 4, 2014 - 04:43PM
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WASHINGTON — President Obama is meeting at the White House with his top commander in Afghanistan and other high-ranking Pentagon officials.

The White House said Tuesday’s meeting would include discussions about a possible U.S. presence in Afghanistan after the NAT0-led combat mission formally concludes there at the end of this year. However, spokesman Jay Carney says no decisions on that matter have been made.

The military has been pushing to keep up to 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. But the White House says Obama won’t leave any American forces in Afghanistan unless Afghan President Hamid Karzai signs a bilateral security agreement.

Among the officials Obama was meeting with were Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan; Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.